[Consultation] Review of the legality of ad-blocking functionality in apps

Company D planned a project (OO project) to include a feature in D's app that removes advertisements and other distractions when users view news, allowing them to focus on the content. D inquired with Law fir Veat regarding whether removing advertisements from the media's website in this way violates relevant laws and regulations. In response, Law fir Veat researched the current status of ad-blocking software, which has recently been problematic in ad tech, along with litigation cases in the United States and Germany, and domestic and international legal scholarship, to examine recent trends related to this issue.

Furthermore, Veat researched relevant theories and lower court rulings regarding the possibility of violating Article 1(c) of the 'Act on Protection of Business Competition and Trade Secrets.' Law fir Veat provided legal advice on whether such a feature is illegal, based on these domestic and international research results and its prior experience in litigation and advisory services related to copyright law and the Act on Protection of Business Competition.